Learn how to match correctly all the tenses of the Indicativo.

The sequence of tenses in Italian follows a rather precise set of rules. This set of rules, goes under the name of Concordanza dei tempi.

In order to have a sequence, we obviously need two more sentences, one of which is the main clause.

The main clause is our point of view, all the other verbs (subordinate) should be seen in perspective.

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Sono felice perché vado in vacanza

• Sono felice –  is the main clause (frase reggente), it can live independently and makes sense.
• …perché vado in vacanza – is a subordinate clause (subordinata). It makes sense only if attached to the main clause.

There are three possible positions in time for the main clause:

• PASSATO
• PRESENTE
• FUTURO

There are three possible positions of the subordinate:

• ANTERIORITÀ – before the main clause
• CONTEMPORANEITÀ  – simultaneously with the main clause
• POSTERIORITÀ – after the main clause

When the verb of the main clause expresses a real situation, the subordinate will likely be with the indicativo mood, with a few exceptions. Please read the sentences and the explanation. Listen to the audio examples.

SCENARIO 1: La frase reggente è al presente

I am happy because I went on holiday (anteriorità, it happened before), because I go on holiday (contemporaneità, it happens at the same time), because I will go on holiday (posteriorità, it will happen in future).

• If the main clause is with the presente indicativo, simple present, we can express the posteriorità with presente indicativo in the subordinate clause.
• Sono felice perché DOMANI vado in vacanza – I’m happy because TOMORROW I’ll go on holiday.

In this case we use the presente as a future tense, because we are sure the action is going to happen.

• We can express anteriorità with other past tenses, like the imperfetto or passato remoto.

• Sono felice perché andavo in vacanza – I’m happy because I used to go on holiday.
• Sono felice perché andai in vacanza – I’m happy because I went on holiday (long time ago).

As a side note, we can express a real situation in the main clause with the imperativo, for example:

• Sii felice perché sei andato in vacanza – Be happy, because you were on holiday.

SCENARIO 2: La frase reggente è al passato

• In the first example, we can use the trapassato prossimo to indicate an action happening before another past action.
• In the second case we have an imperfetto / imperfetto match, but we can have different combinations. For example:
• Ero felice perché sono andato in vacanza

I can use a combination of imperfetto and passato prossimo. The meaning of the sentence changes slightly.

• In the third example, we have a more complex piece of grammar. The “future in the past” is the condizionale composto (sarei andato).

SCENARIO 3: La frase reggente è al futuro

• The futuro anteriore is a tense of the indicativo (sarò andato) and the name says it all. In the first example, we can express a complete action in the future, (I will be gone), before another action (I will be happy). We can obviously use the presente or past tenses to describe an action happening before the future.
• In the second example we have a futuro/futuro scenario (sarò/andrò). We can use the presente as future (sarò/vado) and the consecutio won’t change. Be careful though, we can use the presente instead of the futuro only when we are sure the action will take place soon enough, without doubts. Sometimes, It is necessary to use the future when the present would create confusion.
•  I changed the third example to make it more clear. The combination is usually futuro/futuro “I will know when the holiday will be over”.

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Painting: Giovanni Boldini – La signora in rosa – 1916